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Edgar Vhera Agriculture Specialist Writer
AS the tobacco industry moves to adopt environmentally sustainable ways of producing the golden leaf, a tobacco farmers’ group, TFT, is targeting to plant 100 000 gum and 2 500 orchard trees this year under a tree planting initiative (TPI) spearheaded by their sustainability and climate change (SCC) wing.
TFT Administrator Mr Phineas Mukomberanwa revealed their plans yesterday when he called on farmers with land to plant trees under the afforestation programme as well as contribute to the Government’s efforts in ensuring that tobacco is produced sustainably.
“TFT through the SCC wing is inviting farmers to partake in the TPI programme that is targeting to plant 100 000 gum and 2 500 orchard trees during the 2023 tobacco planting season.
“This is our way of fighting the negative effects of climate change as well as put Zimbabwean tobacco on the map as an attractive option to international buyers,” said Mr Mukomberanwa.
Mr Mukomberanwa said the TPI would run alongside farmer field school (FFS) and would result in TFT helping in the establishment of one-hectare woodlots of gum and 50 grafted fruit trees for every participating farmer.
He highlighted that to date 5 000 gum and 50 fruit trees had been established.
“TFT is calling on interested farmers to come forward for partnerships on this interesting initiative. TFT will provide the seedlings and trees for planting while the farmers will provide land for the establishment of the woodlots,” continued Mr Mukomberanwa.
He added that the woodlots must be established between now and May 2023.
TFT is joining other players in the afforestation drive after the Tobacco Research Board (TRB) launched the distribution of gum trees to schools last year.
At the inaugural handover and demonstration of gum tree planting at Odzi High School last year, TRB executive director business development and marketing, Mr Oswell Mharapara said the tree planting initiative would spread throughout the country.
“Tobacco producers require indigenous tree wood to cure tobacco, and the Global Forest Watch (GFW) estimates that Zimbabwe lost 9, 05 kilo hectares of tree cover in 2021. The TRB wants to freely provide a hectare of gum tree seedlings (2 500 plantlets) and termite control chemicals to schools and farmers interested in this programme throughout the country’s tobacco producing areas,” said Mr Mharapara then.
Zimbabwe Tobacco Association (ZTA) Chief Executive Officer Mr Rodney Ambrose said use of sustainable wood was the way forward as the coal option was unsustainable and likely to be phased out in the next few years.
Under the Tobacco Value Chain Transition Plan (TVCTP) the support for sustainable afforestation programmes was proffered as a solution in the country. Partnerships in research and development and promotion of fuel-efficient curing facilities as well as the use of alternative sources of energies for curing tobacco such as biogas and solar hybrid barns were identified as possible options.
Research in suitability of other tree species as sources of fuel especially the giant bamboo were also enlisted.
Online Reporter